Heavy rain and strong winds are set to hit parts of the UK this week, with the second named storm of the autumn predicted to cause significant and widespread disruption.
The Met Office has said Storm Babet – pronounced bah-bet – is forecast to bring wet and windy weather across the UK from Wednesday. There will be heavy downpours in most areas of the country throughout the day, especially in parts of eastern Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England.
A severe weather warning is in place across central and eastern parts of Scotland, as rain will become heavy and persistent from Thursday to Saturday. Up to 150-200mm could accumulate in some areas of higher ground, the forecaster said.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has urged people to be prepared for potential flooding, and said flood alerts and warnings would be issued as required.
Steven Keates, a deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “Storm Babet will bring impactful rain to many parts of the UK, but especially parts of eastern Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England later this week.
“Heavy and persistent rain will fall on to already saturated ground bringing a risk of flooding. It is important to stay up to date with warnings from your local flood warning agency as well as the local authorities.
“As well as heavy rain, Storm Babet will bring some very strong winds and large waves near some eastern coasts too. Gusts in excess of 60mph are possible in eastern and northern Scotland from Thursday. It is likely [that] Met Office warnings will be updated through the week.”
Gusts of 70mph were recorded at the end of September as the first named storm of the season, Agnes, swept across Britain and Ireland, damaging buildings, causing travel delays and leaving homes without power.
The name Babet was submitted by the Dutch national weather service, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), which partners with the Met Office to name storms.
KNMI take submissions from the public, and has said that other storms – including the third of the season, which will be named Ciarán – are named after experts who work to protect people from extreme weather.
David Morgan, a flood duty manager for Sepa, said: “Storm Babet will bring heavy rain and high winds across Scotland from Wednesday evening, starting in the south-west before moving across to the north-east through Thursday and into the weekend.
“Impacts from surface water and rivers are likely, and with catchments saturated from recent heavy rain and flooding, we’re urging people to be prepared for potential flooding. There is also concern that surface water flooding may be exacerbated by debris blocking drainage, culverts etc as a result of the high winds.
“If you live or work in an area that could be affected [by flooding], consider any steps you need to take now to be prepared and stay safe, and to take extra care if you need to travel.”
